I am fairly new to cake design, and I wanted to create a blog that would help other cake newbies like myself. I wanted to put all this valuable information that I had accumulated into one place, so others wouldn't have to go searching all over the net for it like I did. So, here it is. I hope this information helps you as much as it has me. Don't be afraid to e-mail me if you would like to share some of your wisdom with me as well. I look forward to it.

Notice my contact info to the right, if you want to contact me with any questions. I would also like to say that I do attempt to give credit where credit is due. I do not make any claims to cakes in my blog except the ones in my slideshow. If I show a cake I will try to post some type of identifer with it, however, if I don't know who posted the cake it is impossible for me to do that. I am only using the cake to illustrate a specific technique.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Well, I told you that when I finished my Lambeth cake I would post a picture of it. So, here you go. I realize it looks a little rough. The piping was much more difficult then I thought it would be, but actually creating the design for it presented more of a problem then the piping. It was interesting to try and make it all look cohesive. Hope you like it.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

This is the first question the new cake designer is asking themselves when they make the decision to try out cake designing. If you are fortunate enough to have the resources to take classes or attend some type of pastries/culinary institute, you are pretty much in there. But, if you just want to do this as a hobby for family and friends, you really don't want to invest that type of money into it. So you check the internet.

There are many valuable resources on the internet. Hobbyists have never had it so good. You can get information on virtually any type of hobby at your fingertips. You have access to social forums like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace. You also have access to specialized forums for cake decorating (my personal favorite: cakecentral.com). You can get online video tutorials via youtube. There are people willing to share their knowledge around every corner.

When I decided that I wanted to learn cake designing, I first went to google search. Through this search, I found various cake related websites, including cakecentral. I quickly realized that if I was going to get into this seriously, my most valuable piece of equipment was going to be a notebook with dividers. This will be more valuable to you then anything and probably the least expensive thing you will need to get started. This will help you mass your knowledge in one central location, so when you ask yourself "what was it that that said again", instead of having to re-search the web all you have to do is open your trusty notebook.

This website is an accumulation of some of the knowledge that I have learned in a very short time. Invite others that share your interests to a Facebook or Twitter account. Share the tidbits that you pick up here and there. Honestly you can learn loads from books from the library, magazines, the internet, cake designing clubs, classes and cake decorating conventions like ICES.

Whichever medium you choose to invest your time into, I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I have. I've made a lot of online friends through this hobby...maybe you will be one of them. Feel free to friend me on Facebook at cabescakes, maybe we can teach each other something.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

This recipe has been passed down as far back as I can remember from my grandmother, my mother, myself and hopefully my kids. It is a very rich dessert, and it will satisfy any sweet tooth. It is called Peanut Chocolate Dessert. It is made the following with the following ingredients:

In a bowl, cut butter into flour. Stir in 2/3 cups of the peanuts. Press the mixture into a 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. In another bowl, combine cream cheese peanut butter, and powdered sugar. Beat until fluffy. Gently fold in 1 cup of the whipped topping. Spread this mixture over the cooled crust. Chill. Prepare the instant pudding according to package directions beating for 2 minutes. Spread the instant pudding over the cream cheese. Spread on the remaining whipped topping. Shave any type of chocolate bar or pulse in a food processor (you can use any type of chocolate bar you like, but chocolate covered toffee bars are my favorite) Sprinkle candy bar bits onto whipped topping and sprinkle on the remaining chopped nuts. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Recipe of the Month

Chocolate Modeling Clay

14 ounces Candy Melts or Chocolate Melts

1/3 Cup Corn Syrup

Melt Candy Melts following package directions. Add corn syrup and stir to blend. Turn out mixture onto waxed paper and let set at room temperature to dry. Wrap well and store at room temperature until needed. CandyClay handles best if hardened overnight.

To Tint: CandyClay may be tinted using WiltonCandy or Icing Color. Knead in color until well blended.

To Use: CandyClay will be very hard at the start; knead a small portion at a time until workable. If CandyClay gets too soft, set aside at room temperature or refrigerate briefly. When rolling out CandyClay, sprinkle work surface with cornstarch to prevent sticking; roll to approximately 1/8 in. thickness.

To Store: Prepared CandyClay will last for several weeks at room temperature in a well-sealed container.

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About Me

I graduated from River View High School in 1981. I got married in 1989 to my first true love. I had 2 beautiful daughters...Katelyn and Shelby. My husband had 3 children from a previous marriage...Shannon, Amanda, and Cory. We now have 8 wonderful grandchildren, but we think there will be more. I love them all.